Australians are known for their ingenuity across all walks of life, but in the high speed world of drag racing there is one family that stands out.

After more than 35 years on Willowbank Raceway’s board of management, including 32 years as president, John ‘Stomper’ Winterburn has stood down.

The fourth and final day of the 50th Gulf Western Oil Winternationals was set to be a fitting finale of what had been an incredible season of 400 Thunder action, before mother nature had other ideas. Early morning showers gave way to what was (at times) torrential rain in the afternoon, eventually forcing the abandonment of the event, despite the best efforts of the Willowbank track crew to dry the track.

We have been following the war for the Street GT-R World Record since featuring the then record holder Robert Marjan in Drag News Magazine #21. Well over two days last week, the three main combatants went all out at Sydney Dragway.

The world of Top Fuel drag racing has been wrapped in excitement since the announcement of Lamattina Top Fuel Racing’s new driver, Kelly Bettes.

Australian Top Doorslammer champion John Zappia will be leasing a Noonan Race Engineering Pro Mod to race in the USA in under two months.

This coming weekend at the NHRA Thunder Valley race, Australian Top Fuel Harley-Davidson rider Benny Stevens is set to have the ride of his life racing against some of the best nitro-burning Harley racers in the world!

Nikki Hepburn etched her name again in the Sport Compact history books at the 50th Winternationals with the world’s first radial tyre six second Sport Compact pass.

The 50th running of the Gulf Western Oil Winternationals has been cut short by rain on finals day, however not before Ben Bray of the Gulf Western Oil-supported Team Bray Racing set the second-best Pro Slammer qualifying time and took out second in the 400 Thunder National Pro Slammer Championship.

If there was one racer to leave the 2017 Gulf Western Oil Winternationals with a new fan club it was Top Bike rider Damian Muscat.